Clutched head wrench with spring pressed wedging ball



Patented Nov. 15, 1949 GIiU'ICHED WRENCH .WITH" SPRING? PRES SED WEDGINGBA I-JI* JamesrRlsSchmittland s ems. Hickersnn Bonczn City,. 0kla. a

Applicatiom Octolier 'k 1941i,- S'erial- Nor 701 ,692

' (Cl.1.&1'-5i8:)

' 2.0laims; 1

This iirvent'i'orrrelates to new and useful im movements in a ratchet tool, and has particular reference to ratchet wrenches.

The principal. purposaof'th'e; present invention is, the. provision of. acratohet wrench. havinga lieadcarri'ed'by a body member, said h'eadb'eing adapted to rotate freely in one direction with respect tmsaidi body member; and. adapted to be secured. against rotation in. the opposite directionlby. means of a ball retained .in a recess. provid'edby a. groove of 'unformdepth. formed in the periphery of'saidlieadand'a groove of. tapering depthiormed' in the wall ofsai'dlbodyv member adjacent saidiliead';

Another object' of'tl'ie present invention is, the provisioniofia positive means for positioning, said locking ball in operative position to said body member and turning head;- thereby adapting said ratchet; wrench for use. inranys position.

Further. objects are. simplicity. and ruggedness of: construction, and adaptabilit for use:as either a left hand or a right hand Wrench.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear during the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a ratchet wrench embodyin the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on a central plane through the body member of the wrench.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line IIIIII of Figure 2.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral I0 refers to a body member having one end shaped to form a handle I 2 and the opposite end of which forms a substantially circular ring M the aperture I6 of said ring being of substantially cylindrical form. Said ring is divided at a point adjacent handle I2 by slit I8. The portions of ring I4 adjacent said slit are enlarged to form outwardly extending shoulders and 22. A machine screw 24, which passes through shoulder 20 and slit I8 and is adjustably threaded into shoulder 22, serves to adjust the size of aperture I6 of ring I4 by closing said slit against the resilience of said ring.

Carried for rotation in aperture it of ring I4 is a flat cylindrical head 26 snugly fitting therein. A groove 28 of substantially semi-circular crosssection is formed to extend entirely around the periphery of said head. A relatively short groove 30 of arcuate cross-section is formed in the inside wall of ring l4 in operative alignment with groove 28 formed: in: the periphery: ofcheadv 25x. Said groove: extends a from: slit 1:8 and: inclines; toward theinner wallrsofr. ring? I4; 'Ehei recess formed; by the cooperation of grooves; 28; and: .30 -islthereiore oftaperin'g thickness; A hardenedballi32.'is;con-

tairredi within said: recess; the: diameter: of. said balls being: such thatit; fits-loosely inasa-id; recess at' tHB deep point ofgroove-rsli; but wedges :tightly if? moved-towardxthe; shallow end: of: said groove.

. Saidr. ball: is constantly? urged "toward: the 1 shallow end. of sai'dr grOOVe? by: means, ofspring; 34: com tainedi'in' hole 36s in: ring I4; Said; spring. bears at: itsi'inn'er:end'iagainstballifl; andiits outer end abuts; against: screw: plug; 3& thre'adediintohole 3-6; The. tension ofszsai'd" spring; may; be: vaniedlby adjustingscrewiplug 3B.

Centrally: positioned: in: head-2E: is an. axial-hole 40 of square cross-section; adapted: to receivea tool: bar, not showmrtouwhich; may be: attached wrench soicketssorother'tools..

The wrench; may be" assembled by; springing slitt: Ifieopen. and inserting :head 2-t-v into aperture Hip. At: theisarnetime: ball 32, resting in. groove 28 of said head, passes transversely through slit [8 into groove 30 in ring I4. A corner 42 of ring I4 adjacent said split is cut back to facilitate the insertion of said ball. Screw 42 is then inserted and tightened until rin I4 is drawn into the proper fit about head 26, and spring 34 and screw plug 38 are inserted in hole 36, said screw plug being advanced to provide the desired tension in said spring. Ball 32 prevents the removal of head 26 from aperture l6, and said head is prevented from canting in said aperture by its close fit therein.

When the handle I2 is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, ball 32 is forced toward the shallow end of groove 30, where it wedges tightly between ring I4 and head 26. Head 26 is thus secured to said ring, and rotates therewith. There is virtually no lost motion when beginning rotation in this direction, since ball 32 is at all times urged toward the wedging position by spring 34. Since said spring also prevents said ball from falling to the deepest end of groove 30 when said groove extends downwardly the wrench may be used in any position.

When handle I2 is rotated in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, ball 32 is urged toward the deep end of groove 30 against the pressure of spring 34. Since said ball then lies at a point where the recess formed by grooves 28 and 30 is of greater depth than the diameter of said ball, free relative rotation of head 26 and body member ID is permitted.

The graduation of the depth of groove 30 must be sufiiciently steep to prevent jamming of the ball at a shallow point of said groove, with consequent difficulty in backing of handle I2 in a direction opposite to the arrow in Figure 2. At the same time, the slope of said groove must be sufficiently gradual to prevent slippage of said ball in groove 28 when advancing handle l2. It has been found practical to slope said groove approximately two one-hundredths of an inch per one-eighth inch travel.

The ratchet Wrench may be adapted for use as either a left hand or right hand tool by extending the tool bar carried in hole 40 of head 26 from one face or the other of said head, and is thus a simplification over wrenches requiring the reversal of a pawl with respect to a toothed ratchet wheel, or other internal adjustment.

The improvements we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent are:

1. A ratchet tool comprising a body member in the form of a split rin with the ends thereof spaced apart, a screw joining the ends of said ring whereby the size thereof may be adjusted; a head rotatably carried by said body member and adapted to carry a wrench socket or the like, and having a peripheral groove formed in the edge thereof, said groove cooperating with a relatively short groove of graduated depth formed in said body member; a spherical wedging ball carried in the recess formed by said grooves whereby relative rotation in one direction of said body member and said turning head is prevented and relative rotation of said last two named parts in the opposite direction is permitted; and a spring of adjustable tension carried by said body member whereby said wedging ball is constantly urged toward the wedging position.

2. A ratchet tool comprising a body member having a substantially cylindrical hole formed therethrough forming a ring, said ring being split and having formed in the inner wall thereof a relatively short groove of tapering depth extend- 4 ing in one direction from said split; a screw joining the ends of said split ring whereby the diameter thereof may be adjusted; a handle integral with said ring whereby said ring may be manually rotated; a substantially cylindrical head carried for rotation in said split ring, said head being adapted to carry a wrench socket or the like and having a peripheral groove of uniform depth formed in the edge thereof and cooperating with said tapered groove formed in said split ring; a wedging ball carried in the recess formed by said grooves whereby relative rotation of said split ring and said turning head is prevented in one direction and permitted in the opposite direction; and a spring carried in a recess formed therefor in said split ring at the opposite side of the split from said tapered groove, and bearing against said ball, whereby said wedging ball is constantly urged toward the shallow end of said tapered groove.

JAMES R. SCHMITT. SETH E. HICKERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 342,586 Diessler May 25, 1886 870,014 Campbell Nov. 5, 1907 870,151 Abell Nov. 5, 1907 881,346 Sargent Mar. 10, 1908 921,290 Shelbourne May 11, 1909 1,169,007 Chadwick Jan. 18, 1916 1,808,959 Lane et a1 June 9, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 21,343 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1908 118,875 Great Britain Sept. 6, 1918 

